Trump National Doral Miami

My golf cart kept stopping and telling me I was off the correct path even when I was on the golf cart path. It would stop and make me reverse. I would move forward and it would stop again. It absolutely ruined what should’ve been a great day with me and my friends. Course is fabulous staff was excellent.

The Gold course offers green complexes that are more difficult than its’ fabled sister course, the Blue Monster.

There are some really good, fun holes, like Nos. 8, 10, and 18. However, this is typical Florida resort style golf. One dogleg with water down one side numbs you to the stellar holes.

I don’t think the value is there to warrant the price tag. But, once on the property they’ve got you. You can either pay twice as much for another round on the Blue, or feel like you are saving money by playing the Gold or Red.

It has been roughly 30 years between rounds for me at Doral. Much has changed aesthetically, both with the ownership of Donald Trump and the redesign by Gil Hanse.

Still, there is something very familiar about the Blue Monster. It is an iconic golf course that perhaps has been left behind. Since the PGA Tour eschewed backlash by moving Doral’s date on the schedule, it is stuck in the purgatory between toney 1950s Florida resort golf and the shadow cast by other Florida mega-resorts, namely Streamsong, that have passed it by.

What Doral has going for it is a brand name. Serious golfers know the label. They grew up watching men like Greg Norman, Ray Floyd, Nick Faldo and Steve Elkington win the Doral Ryder Open on CBS to the dulcet tones of Pat Summerall and Ken Venturi.

Most every course claims a signature hole. Doral, however, has a legit signature hole: the brute of a par 4 18th, the famed Blue Monster, and namesake of the course. It is a hole that every serious fan of the game ought to experience for themselves. Playing into the prevailing wind, the carry off the tee to clear the hazard that looms down the left side is weightier than it appears. That only earns you another chance to baptize a ball with an approach that played 180 yards. Remember Rory tossing a club into this penalty area the last year the tournament was played here? You will have empathy for him after you’ve holed out.

You also feel like being a guest at the resort is a big deal. The rooms are terrific. The practice areas are spacious. There is an ambiance about the place.

However, judging from a golf perspective, outside of the rush of playing the finishing hole and its’ sister hole - the adjacent par-3 ninth that is a handful, the rest of the holes are just not that memorable. Hanse did some major surgery on several holes, particularly the 15th and 16th, which don’t resemble the previous iteration in the least. And I think they were good changes. It’s just that the rest of the course is one dogleg with water down one side after another. Yawning, typical Florida resort-style golf. And the Blue is honestly not even the toughest course on the property.

Having said all that, I still enjoyed the round. I think one’s golfing resume ought to include a round on the Monster. And that, in the end, is why a round here comes with such a hefty price tag. They know most will pay for that opportunity.

Enjoyed everything over there. Paid $20 for parking.

Overall a nice course. Something different in that there are 6 par 5, 6 par 4 and 6 par 3. Short layout as well so you don’t really get to play many different clubs out of your bag. Made a couple of eagles on short par 5’s which was fun but driver/9 iron is more like a birdie on a par 4. Greens were in great shape.

Lower pricing would make this venue excellent in all categories. Staff is excellent.

I think this place has fallen apart in just the last year. There doesn’t seem to be any system to get you from your car to the 1st tee. Paying 450 bucks and then hitting off mats on driving range is ridiculous. Send some of your people out to Greyhawk and learn how to manage the experience. Horrible.

Great course to play, place was in amazing condition. The staff went out of their way to make us feel appreciated. After our round our waiter Robert was awesome and John the manager is truly an asset look forward to visiting them again!

Be careful which tee box your are choosing - plays longer

The course itself is first rate. It was in great condition. It is a well laid out challenging course. But for the money it cost there should have been more than just the course. The cart girl should have been around more than just twice...once on hole number 1 and then at the next to last hole. There were no rest rooms on the second nine. There were plenty of trees to accommodate the guys but female players were just flat out of luck. Not what you would expect from a high class golfing venue. Since the first hole of this course is so far (about 1.5 miles) from the club house there should have been some kind of half way house to get something to drink and eat. There was nothing available without driving the 1.5 miles back to the clubhouse.. Also, you shouldn't have to pay this much to play and still have to spend $20 parking. And the parking was so far from the clubhouse that walking was not really an option. Fortunately, a shuttle just happened by that took me from the parking area to the club house and a very nice attendant was able to drive me back to my car after play. The staff I interacted with were all very friendly and helpful.

My first time playing the Silver Fox and got all the way to the first tee (10 Min away) and didn’t have a score card. There were none at the 1st tee, the cart girl didn’t have one so I had to use a scrap of paper.

Very disappointing for such an expensive course.

Fun course to play

Challenging but mostly about control and ball placement

Great greens